Juan Karlos returns from hiatus with arresting folk-rock tune “Boston”

The comeback single comes with a music video shot in EDSA

https://juankarlos.lnk.to/MVBoston

After taking an indefinite hiatus from social media, acclaimed artist Juan Karlos returns with a new single that showcases a more laid-back, stripped-down approach in terms of songwriting and production.  

Released digitally, “Boston” revisits an old memory with a former flame, and runs with the fictional idea of “what could have been” if decisions in life were done differently. The song also documents that lingering bittersweet feeling of longing that, because of circumstances beyond control, cannot persist.

Two Philippine teams are finalists in global space data competition for COVID-19

Global finalists of the Earth Observation Dashboard Hackathon. World MAQI: Dominic Vincent “Doc” Ligot, Michael Lance M. Domagas, Arturo "Art" Caronongan III, and Mark Neil Pascual. GiveSight: Karl Adrian de Guzman, Angelica Mhay Salazar, Joshua Bungcaras, Mark Barretto, and Gabriel Kristopher "Cricket" Soong.

Two teams from the Philippines, GiveSight and World MAQI, are selected by the United States space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as global finalists for the all-virtual Earth Observation Dashboard Hackathon held last June 23-29. With 4,300+ participants from 132 countries and territories, the week-long event featured 233 projects to solve challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic using data from the Earth Observing (EO) Dashboard, an interactive data resource giving policymakers and the public a unique tool to probe the impacts of pandemic-related restrictions implemented around the world through the lens of Earth observation satellites.

Geo-Intelligent Visualization of Earth Systems in Graphical and Historical Timelines (GiveSight)

The Geo-Intelligent Visualization of Earth Systems in Graphical and Historical Timelines (GiveSIGHT) seeks to improve the current EO dashboard by highlighting significant changes of the COVID-19 pandemic through visualizations and guided insight for prospect users. The proposed dashboard is intended to visualize economic proxies through night lights, economic activities, and lock-down timeline in the Philippines. 

The team is led by Gabriel Kristopher "Cricket" Soong, an electrical engineer and emerging technologies consultant, and members include software engineer Mark Barretto and Adamson University computer engineering students Angelica Mhay Salazar, Karl Adrian de Guzman, and Joshua Bungcaras.

Mobility over Air Quality Index (MAQI)

The Mobility over Air Quality Index (MAQI) is derived from the fusion of mobility statistics provided by Google with air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from Earth observations.  While the COVID-19 pandemic initially led to decreased mobility and improved air quality, countries around the world have begun to lift their quarantine restrictions, triggering air pollution once again. Through MAQI, areas and communities with improved mobility and air quality may be identified and recognized. 

The team is composed of space data researchers and hackathon veterans. Data analyst Dominic Vincent "Doc" Ligot and data engineer Mark Neil Pascual led the conceptualization and prototype development, while Michael Lance M. Domagas, a computer science Master’s student, reunited with his undergraduate thesis adviser, Arturo "Art" Caronongan III, an assistant professorial lecturer from De La Salle University, to do research and concept validation for MAQI. 

Pinoy pride and ingenuity

In 2020, Art Caronongan’s team placed as global finalist in the NASA Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge for Snail Space, an app giving a "safe space" by providing mental care and comfort during times of social isolation brought by COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, Doc’s team developed Advanced Early Dengue Prediction and Exploration Service (Project AEDES) which used Earth observations for data-driven dengue detection and nowcasting, bagging the global award for the best use of data in the prestigious NASA International Space Apps Challenge. Since then, the initiative has garnered more accolades: recognized in 2020 by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) for applying Earth observations towards the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and more recently last May 2021, vetted and approved by the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), as a Digital Public Good (DPG), putting the Philippines on the map as a DPG pathfinding pilot country.

A team from CirroLytix Research Services, a Philippine-based startup leading the charge in using big data for social impact founded by Doc, developed Global Impact Detection from Emitted Light, Onset of COVID-19, and Nitrogen Dioxide (GIDEON), a data portal that used satellite data and news feeds to measure economic and social impacts of lockdowns and pandemic interventions. In 2020, GIDEON also won the best use of data global award in the NASA Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge.

Cricket Soong and Mark Pascual are also from CirroLytix, and in late 2020 were Space Apps global nominees for Global Hazard Exposure and Resiliency Trends by Earth observation and Analysis Tools (Global HEARTBEAT), an interactive tool providing geo-located information on natural and human hazards surrounding communities within the Philippines and Canada.

Winners of both space hackathons are invited to visit NASA and partner agencies’ facilities but are responsible for covering their own costs. Although travel has been on hold since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, invitations shall resume once travel is deemed safe. 

Michael Lance, a lead local organizer of Space Apps, appeals for support in recognizing these global winners and finalists, "Having both led and participated in these hackathons, I can attest to the world-class quality of our local innovators but sadly support for these innovators has been minimal. In the same way we Filipinos love to cheer our athletes and beauty queens who represent our country, I hope we can find value in supporting our Philippine technologists, who also bring our country pride through their innovation.”

EO dashboard hackathon winners shall be announced in early August 2021.

Selsun Blue manages dandruff by addressing the root of it

Dandruff is a common and recurring condition that can be caused by certain factors, including an oily scalp, infrequent hair washing and even allergies you didn’t know you had. It can take the fun out of so many things, such as wearing dark clothes, baring your shoulders and even the simple act of flipping your hair.  

Having dandruff is a sign that your scalp is not healthy. Thus, you need to address the problem at the root, literally and figuratively. How do you do this? There are many home remedies touted to treat dandruff, but many of these lack clinical research evidence for them to be credible. You can achieve dandruff-free status and gain more confidence by using a shampoo that really works to manage the problem.  

Ben&Ben reunite with Moira on the confessional ballad “Pasalubong”

After working together last year for the heartwarming ballad “Paalam,” which has reached more than 40 million streams on all combined music platforms, Ben&Ben and Moira are reuniting again for a song that captures the intensity of deep longing and persistent desire.

Their second collaborative single “Pasalubong” is a romantic confessional that drips with unapologetic sentimentality:  a song that is defenseless in its yearning and honesty, hoping that one’s profession of love will be received and reciprocated. 

According to Ben&Ben, the song was inspired by the double meaning behind the title, which is a term that is commonly used to refer to a gift, and a word that could also mean to meet. “The track is a play on both these meanings,” the acclaimed nine-piece outfit explains. 

Smile Train Expands Comprehensive Cleft Care Services Across Philippines

(ARC Hospital in Lapu-Lapu City serving as the first Comprehensive Cleft Care (CCC) in Cebu)

Smile Train, the world's largest cleft organization, announced today the establishment of four Comprehensive Cleft Care (CCC) centers across the Philippines to increase accessibility of treatment to cleft-affected individuals and their families.

Every day, more than 540 babies are born with a cleft around the world, an ongoing reality that calls for comprehensive solutions to help them overcome challenges and live a happy, healthy life. 

Shopee Rolls Out New Features on Shopee Live to Help Sellers Boost Views and Increase Sales in time for the 8.8 Mega Flash Sale

Shopee introduces Livestream Flash Sale and In-app Business Insights features to help sellers maximize the Shopee Live experience

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, launches Livestream Flash Sale and In-app Business Insights features to help sellers gain more viewers and boost their sales during streaming sessions on Shopee Live. 

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is excited to launch two new in-app features that aim to help our online sellers grow on our platform. Our sellers are a big part of our business, and we will continue to support them by providing the necessary tools to help them engage with their customers more. Shopee will continue to offer Filipinos a fun and interactive experience.”

"King Richard": Film About the Father of Venus & Serena Williams Drops Trailer

Will Smith is “King Richard,” the new film based on the inspiring true story of the coach/mentor/father that brought the world Venus & Serena Williams.  

Check out “King Richard’s” first official trailer below and watch the film in Philippine cinemas soon.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=241473954313586

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Rhi8G-Hvi30

About “King Richard”

Based on the true story that will inspire the world, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “King Richard” follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever.  Two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith (“Ali,” “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Bad Boys for Life”) stars as Richard, under the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green (“Monsters and Men”).